Railway-switch mechanism.



No. 678,084. Patented July 9, l90l.

A. C. WOLFE. RAILWAY SWITCH MECHANISM.

' (Application filed Feb. 27, 1900.) (No Model.) 7 3 Sheats8heet I.

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No. 678,084. Pat ented July 9, 190:.

v A..c. WOLFE.

RAILWAY SWITCH MECHANISM.

(Application filed Feb. 27. 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented July 9, l90l.

A. B.- WOLFE. RAILWAY s'wncn MECHANISM.

(Applicltiou filed Feb. 27, 1900.)

3 Sheets-sheaf 3.

(No llodal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

ANDREW o. WOLFE, or FREn oRr, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO JOSEPH. M. HEWITT, OFALLEGHENY,PENNSYLVANIA.

' RAILWAY-SWITCHMECHANISM.

srEcrrrcAmoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,084, dated July 9, 1901,

. Application filed February 27, 1900. Serial No. 6,684. i (No model.) v

ToaZZ whom, it 111,005; concern: 2 Be it known that I, ANDREW O. IVOLFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Freeport, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered 'new and useful Improvements-in Railway- Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. g

In the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a street-railway equipped with my device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the floor of the car provided with the pushing mechanism which engages with the switchthrowing mechanism in the street. Fig. 3 is a section on-line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line IV IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of what I call the fpower box and its inclosing dirt-box Fig. 6, a horizontal section through Fig. 5 on line VI VI Fig. 7, a vertical section on line VII VII of Fig. 5.

The purpose of my invention, generally stated, is mechanism for throwing switches, and more particularly street=railway switches, by means which shall be powerful and simple. In the accompanying drawings,whi6h make part of this specification, A A are the rails of the main track.

13 B are the rails for the branch track.

0 is a switch-tongue, which is connected by a system of levers D, E, F F, and G G with screw-wedges H H. These levers are preferably covered by an iron plate Lwhich spans the track from wheel to'wheel; butthey can be arranged and protectedin any desired manner. The lever G-in both cases is suitably secured in the side of the screw-wedges H H, preferably threaded therein, as shown in Fig. 6. The screw-wedgeH travels in what I termthe power-box K. It is threaded to match the threads on the screw-wedge H.

The power box or bearing K is slotted at 70 to permit of the movement of the lever G, as

is also the dirt box or shield'L at Efor the same purpose. The dirt-shield L is provided with a cap 1 which rests upon the upper end of the screw-wedge H and is provided with two downwardlydependingflangesE E which make a neat working fit on the sides of the power-box K. One of these flanges is is pivoted in bracket 0.

tongue.

screw-wedge that an end thrust on said screwwedge will cause the same to move inits box by a rotary progressive movement.

' M is a push in the floor N of thecar and In frictional contact with the same is the lever P, pivoted in the bracket Q and bearing at its lower end a depressing-wheel R. The lower end of lever P is normally held up with the spring S. The floor-push M in cars which are designed to go on the main line would be located to engage the screw-wedge on one side of the track, and the floor-push oncars which are going on the branch'line would be. located on the other side of the car to engagethe screw-wedge on the other side of the track. In the drawings the screw-Wedge for the main line is shown at the right-hand side for the outgoing car and on the left side for the outgoing car on the branch line. Obviously the reverse sides could bechosen. On the return trips of both cars the car-wheel flanges return the switch to its position in the usual manner.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol lows: As the car approaches the switchthe 8o throwing the same down and'rotating said I it screw-wedge, which turns lever G and by the connected system of levers throws the switch.

Obviously as one screw-wedge is depressed the other will be raised. Y l V Various changes can be made inthe details 0 I of the mechanism described, butstill embody.-

ing the main features ofimyinventi'on. ;For instance, any system of levers could be'adopted between the screw-wedge and the switch depressing mechanism on the car be broughtv into immediate contact with the end of the screw-wedge,-if desired. Any convenient motor mechanism also between the car and the screw-wedge may be substituted for the twoqoelevers and the wheel which I have illustrated. Havingidescribed my invention, I claim- The dirt-box can be omitted and the 9 5 V 1. The combination of a screw-Wedge; a bearing for the same; a railway-switch; con.- nections between said screw-wedge and said railway-switch and means carried by a car for moving said screw-wedge.

2. The combination of a screw-wedge; a bearing for the same; a railway-switch connections between said screw-wedge and said railway-switch and means carried by said car for imparting an end thrust to said screwwedge.

33. The combination of a screw-wedge havin g threads of such inclination that the application of power on the screw-wedge will move the same; a bearing for said screwwedge; a rai1way-switch; connection between said railway-switch and said screw-wedge and means carried by the car to impart an end thrust to. day oi February, 1900.

said screw-wedge.

L. The combination of a screw+wedgeg a bearing, for said wedge; a cap moving upon said bearing and in. contact with the end ot' the said screw-wedge; a railway-switch,connection between said screw-wedge and said railway switch and means carried by the car to. push against the cap for the'bearin.

5. The combination of a screw-Wedge; a bearing for said wedge; a dirt-shield inclosing said bearing; a cap for said dirt-shield; said cap being in contact with the end of said screw-wedge; a railway-switch; a connection between said so rew-wedge and said switch and means carried upon the car to impart a push I to said cap.

6. The combination of a railway-switch; a.

- system of levers leading from said switch to .two serew-wedges oppositely located; bearin gs for said screw-Wedges and means carried by the car simultaneously depressing one screw-wedge and raising the other screwwedge.

Signed at Pitt-'sbu rg, Pennsy l Vania, this 17th ANDREW O'. YVOLFE.

\Vitnesses:

L.. D. IAMS,. WM. L. PIERCE. 

